From the field - current news photoblog Photo Gallery by Mark B Bartosik at pbase.com

From the field - current news photoblog

"One does not meet oneself until one catches the reflection from an eye other than human." - Loren Eiseley. I am not a birder or bird expert (or somebody who pretends to be the one). I would rather spend hours, days or even weeks with one species, in some cases one bird, then try to see and count them all. Learning about animal behavior is the most important part of my passion in my studies of a few selected birds. So, if you see any identification mistakes please let me know. Especially if you feel that you can bet your wife or mother on your ID. No, I will not try to collect the prize if you are wrong. And do not bet your girlfriend or wife in hopes you can get rid of one easily. I will gratefully appreciate all your help whether it was a typing mistake or lack of knowledge on my part. Best regards, Mark.

:: Seagull - hybrid from Quintana - February 5, 2012 ::	:: Sanderling stung by Portuguese man o' war (Physalia physalis) ::	:: Portuguese man o' war (Physalia physalis) - Quintana (Freeport, Texas) February 2012 ::	:: Laughing Gull - Adult pirating food from juvenile ::
:: 2012 Books with my photographs - The Illustrated Birds of Texas ::	:: 2012 Books with my photographs - The Illustrated Birds of North Carolina ::	:: Laughing Gull - jump-plunge & surface-plunge ::	:: Laughing Gull on wing trying to swallow mullet ::
:: Portuguese Man o' War ::	:: Cattle Egret - Breeding plumage - Cobalt blue skin of head and neck ::	:: Cattle Egret - stalking and trying to catch dragonfly ::	:: Osprey - Nests with 3 Fledglings ::
:: Great-tailed Grackle - drinking Bud Light on beach ::	:: Do not leave your trash behind ::	:: Wilson’s Snipe - Cocked Tail Display ::	:: Wilson’s Snipe - Intraspecific Aggression - Physical Fights - striking with legs ::
:: Wilson’s Snipe - Intraspecific Aggression - Cocked Tail and Sparring Display ::	:: Wilson’s Snipe - Alert Posture ::	:: Wilson’s Snipe - Flutter Leap ::	:: Horned Grebe feeding on shrimps - Texas City Dike - December 23, 2011 ::
:: El Franco Lee Park Peregrine - November 22, 2011 ::	:: Ruddy Turnstone flipping over stuff ::	:: Anatomical Directions & Flight Dynamics Parameters ::	$Common Tern - leg pathology - displaced fracture$ :: Common Tern - leg pathology - displaced fracture ::
:: Who am I and what happened to me? ::	:: Rusty Blackbird pair - El Franco Lee Park - November 25, 2011 ::	:: Ruff - El Franco Lee Park - Houston, Texas, November 22, 2011 ::	:: Ruff (juvenile male) - size comparison to other birds ::
:: American Oystercatcher - bathing - diving into a wave ::	:: Great Blue Heron catching mullets - surf zone - Quintana November 19, 2011 ::	:: Lesser Black-backed Gull - adult head and neck feathers ::	:: American Herring Gull - juvenile head and neck feathers ::
:: Lesser Black-backed Gull molt - PMS data 2011-12 ::	:: Lesser Black-backed Gull juveniles - Upper Texas Coast - November 2011 ::	:: Lesser Black-backed Gull flocks - Upper Texas Coast - November 2011 ::	:: Harlan’s Hawk - Quintana - November 13, 2011 ::
:: American Oystercatcher joining flies to dine on dead fish ::	:: American Oystercatcher - agitated pair - Cocked-tail Display ::	:: Osprey Takeoff: Downstroke & Upstroke ::	:: Lesser Black-backed Gull - shaking bag to get food out ::
:: Ruby-throated Hummingbird stretching tongue and bill ::	:: Ruby-throated Hummingbird scratching ::	:: Hermit Thrush Quintana October 29, 2011 ::	:: Bottlenose Dolphin jumping ::
:: Banded birds UTC October 2011 ::	:: Loggerhead Shrike dining table - Quintana October 29, 2011 ::	:: Lesser Black-backed Gull - examples of wing molt and feather patterns - October 2011 - Texas Upper Coast ::	:: Lesser Black-backed Gull wing and head molt progress in 21 days on wintering ground in Texas ::
:: Franklin’s Gull early arrival - UTC September 24, 2011 ::	:: Forster’s Tern eating beans ::	:: Coot with pink bill - Quintana, October 22, 2011 ::	:: Little Blue Heron (hybrid?) Upper Texas Coast - October 2010 - Open Wing foraging - plumage coloration inquiry ::
:: Laughing Gull pirating food from Black Skimmer - Rockport Beach Park ::	:: Sooty Tern - Rockport, Texas, July 2, 2011 ::	:: "Specialists" Laughing Gulls fighting over stolen Black Skimmer chick ::	:: Black Skimmer - double catch - catching two fishes in one skim 071611 ::
:: Sora - July 16, 2007 Brazoria NWR ::	:: Tricolored Heron - fledgling 071611 ::	:: Long-billed Curlew 071611 ::	:: Osprey - Adult: defecation over the edge of the nest ::
:: Black Skimmer - unique feature - vertical slit (cat-like) shaped pupils ::	:: Osprey - smallest fishes caught and transported ::	:: Snail Kite Food: Apple Snail ::	:: Snail Kite Portraits ::
:: Snail Kite on wing ::	:: Snail Kite in their habitat ::	:: Snail Kite defecating ::	:: Whooping Crane Photography Tours: Winter 2011-12 Workshops ::
:: Osprey - female manipulating offspring carcass ::	:: Osprey - female moving offspring carcass around the nest ::	:: Osprey - juvenile manipulating sibling carcass ::	:: Osprey - juvenile moving sibling carcass around the nest ::
:: Osprey - Cannibalism ::	:: Osprey - Sibling Rivalry - Cainism (Siblicide) ::	:: Leucistic Black-necked Stilt female - Brazoria NWR - Spring 2011 ::	:: Whooping Crane - family foraging on clams ::
:: Whooping Crane - Animal food items - Bivalvia (bivalves) - Jackknife Clam (?) ::	:: Whooping Crane – Animal food items – Fish – flounder ::	:: Whooping Crane – Animal food items – Fish – minnows ::	:: Whooping Crane - subadult and juvenile secondary and primary wing coverts - feathers comparison ::
:: Whooping Crane female - Black secondary feathers - Wood Buffalo/Aransas flock - winter 2010-11 ::	:: Whooping Crane male - Supernumerary primary feather - Wood Buffalo/Aransas flock - winter 2010-11 ::	:: Whooping Crane - second winter subadult plumage ::	:: Whooping Crane - taking off – run over water ::
:: Whooping Crane - Plant Food - Carolina Wolfberry (Lycium carolinianum) fruits ::	:: CAMERA EQUIPMENT I USE AND/OR RECOMMEND ::	:: Painted Bunting foraging - Quintana, April 16, 2011 ::	:: Golden-winged Warbler - LaFitte's Cove - April 16, 2011 ::
:: Herons and Egrets in breeding plumage March-April 2011 ::	:: Great-tailed Grackle - Great Fight - lasted at least 3 minutes ::	:: Whooping Crane - Animal food items - Bivalvia (bivalves) ::	:: American Oystercatcher - Nest - March 13, 2011 ::
:: Whooping Crane - Scarbaby defecating ::	:: Whooping Crane - taking fiddler crabs ::	:: Whooping Crane - taking eels ::	:: Whooping Crane - Black-bellied Whistling-Duck: Interspecific Interactions - defending feeder territory ::
:: Whooping Crane dance elements: bow, wing spread, leap, attack posture and object-toss ::	:: Black Skimmer – mid-air physical confrontation during aerial chase ::	:: Osprey – fast vertical dive – rarest and most impressive dive ::	:: Whooping Crane flying with legs folded ::
:: Whooping Crane hunting striped mullet ::	:: Whooping Crane - swimming and wading in deep water ::	:: Double-crested Cormorant taking eel - March 2011 ::	:: Osprey - slow dive speed - medium dive and plunge angles ::
:: Great Egret – Fight #1 - March 20, 2011 ::	:: Great Egret – Fight #2 - March 20, 2011 ::	:: Great Egret – Breeding Plumage – March 20, 2011 ::	:: Little Gull (2) - Port Aransas, March 12, 2011 ::
:: Bonaparte’s Gull - Port Aransas, March 12, 2011 ::	:: Least Tern - Port Aransas, March 12, 2011 ::	:: Whooping Crane - Scarbaby taking snake in light rain - Aransas NWR winter 2010-11 ::	:: Whooping Crane - Feeding at dusk on dead fish remains ::
:: Whooping Crane - photos of Wood Buffalo-Aransas radioed Whoopers (with GPS transmitters) ::	:: Osprey - flapping flight speed with fish (still air) - 39.6 km/h (measured) ::	:: Whooping Crane - Scarbaby and his mate - Aransas NWR winter 2010-11 ::	:: Yellow-faced Grassquit – Goose Island, Texas February 2011 ::
:: Aplomado Falcon – February 2011 ::	:: Osprey dives - estimated average speed ::	:: Osprey - Hunting in the rain ::	:: Crested Caracara harassing Osprey with fish - chase#4 ::
:: Crested Caracara harassing Osprey with fish - chase#3 ::	:: Osprey - medium-angle plunge ::	:: Tree Swallow foraging - Brazoria NWR January 15, 2011 ::	:: Osprey - “Fish Worst Nightmare” ::
:: Osprey trying to build a nest - Upper Texas Coast ::	:: Osprey with 44cm Spotted Seatrout ::	:: Brown and American White Pelican fighting over fish ::	:: Bufflehead Texas Winter 2010-2011 ::
:: Common Goldeneye Texas Winter 2010-2011 ::	:: Hooded Merganser Texas Winter 2010-2011 ::	:: Greater Scaup Texas Winter 2010-2011 ::	:: Lesser Scaup Texas Winter 2010-2011 ::
:: Red-breasted Merganser Texas Winter 2010-2011 ::	:: Long-tailed Duck Texas January 2011 ::	:: White-winged Scoter Texas December 2010 ::	:: Osprey strikes large blue crab - crab fights back and gets free ::
:: How fast Snowy Egret can swallow a shrimp when harassed by gulls? ::	:: Great-blue Heron aerial foraging - striking striped mullet from flight - UTC November 2010 ::	:: First record of Osprey taking blue crab ::	:: Osprey catching two fish in one dive — one in each talon ::
:: Dunlin 102310 ::	:: Cattle Egret plumes – nomenclature ::	:: Neotropic Cormorant - growth of white filoplumes on head and neck ::	:: Neotropic & Double-crested Cormorant September-October 2010 ::
:: Roseate Spoonbill parent punishing fledgling for excessive begging - UTC - Summer 2010 ::	:: Cattle Egret - mantle plumes extending beyond end of tail ::	:: Cattle Egret - living among alligators - adult drinking ::	:: Cattle Egret - living among alligators - juvenile drinking & hunting ::
:: Cattle Egret - living among alligators - collecting nesting material in water ::	:: 2 little quizzes - Cattle Egret behavior & plumage ::	:: Strength of Green Heron’s legs ::	:: Snowy Egret - extended fight ::
:: Cattle Egret - fights - summer 2010 ::	:: Cattle Egret - breeding plumage - peak - summer 2010 ::	:: Cattle Egret - breeding plumage - summer 2010 ::	:: Cattle Egret - nest building material - summer 2010 ::
:: Cattle Egret - on wing - summer 2010 ::	:: Cattle Egret - after sundown - summer 2010 ::	:: Leucistic Red-tailed Hawk - Katy - Texas - fall 2010 ::	:: Leucistic Red-tailed Hawks - Katy - Texas -2009 and 2010 ::
:: Leucistic Red-tailed Hawk - Katy - Texas - January 2010 ::	:: Yellow Oriole - melanistic - Top End, Northern Territory, Australia ::	:: Black Skimmer aerial chases - UTC summer 2010 ::	:: Birds: Australia, Northern Territory, Top End 2010 ::
:: Wallaby - before dawn - Top End, Northern Territory, Australia ::	:: Saltwater (Estuarine, 'Salty') Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) - Top End, Northern Territory, Australia ::	:: Upland Sandpiper UTC 2010 ::	:: Little Blue Heron - juvenile and one year old - field marks ::
:: Snowy Egrets with discolored plumes ::	:: Black Skimmer - dealing with heat during Texas summer ::	:: Cattle Egrets – unwanted sexual encounters ::	:: Swallow-tailed Kite - Aerial Shake 080710 ::
:: Swallow-tailed Kite eating on wing 080710 ::	:: Swallow-tailed Kite feeding juveniles 080710 ::	:: Swallow-tailed Kite juveniles begging for food 080710 ::	:: Swallow-tailed Kite 080710 ::
:: Black Skimmer - 3 aberrant females (“Brown” color mutation): history of this find, important close-up and comparison photos. ::	:: Black Skimmer - 'brown' Female#1 - Fulton-Rockport 080110 ::	:: Black Skimmer - 'brown' Female#2 - Fulton-Rockport 080110 ::	:: Black Skimmer - 'brown' Female#3 - Fulton-Rockport 073110 ::
:: Tricolored Heron - juvenile hunting dragonflies ::	:: Bald Eagles fledgling 2010 - keeping balance on “three legs” ::	:: Bald Eagles fledgling 2010 on perch ::	:: Bald Eagles fledgling 2010 - play behavior - breaking off and tossing leaves ::
:: Bald Eagles fledgling 2010 on wing ::	:: Snowy Egret Foraging Technique: Bill-vibrating - A prey atracting behavior ::	:: Comparing close-up photos of "white-headed" Ardeidae found in Northern Territory, Australia ::	:: Osprey - feeding chicks (2.5 weeks old) ::
:: Osprey fledgling - first night after fledging ::	:: Osprey - fledging day - Flight #11 of 11 ::	:: Osprey - fledging day - Flight #2 of 11 ::	:: Osprey - fledging day - 1st flight: landing - Flight #1 of 11 ::
:: Osprey - fledging day - 1st flight: flying - Flight #1 of 11 ::	:: Osprey - fledging day - 1st flight: take off - Flight #1 of 11 ::	:: Osprey - fledging day - 1st flight: last moment before taking off - Flight #1 of 11 ::	:: Osprey juvenile one day before fledging - hovering above nest ::
:: Osprey juvenile one day before fledging - wing flapping ::	:: Osprey juvenile one day before fledging - jumping ::	:: Osprey - juveniles on nest in rain ::	:: Australian Freshwater Crocodile - Crocodylus johnstoni - Top End, Northern Territory, Australia ::
:: Saltwater (Estuarine, 'Salty') Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) jumping - Top End, Northern Territory, Australia ::	:: Partial lunar eclipse - Houston, Texas June 26, 2010 ::	:: Red-bellied Woodpecker - Cypresswood June 26, 2010 ::	:: Red-headed Woodpecker - Cypresswood June 26, 2010 ::
:: Osprey juvenile - casting pellet ::	:: Osprey - in special light ::	:: Neotropic - Double-crested Cormorant - Interspecific Interactions: kleptoparasitism ::	:: Lesser Scaup feeding on mussels plus male and female portraits ::
:: Great Egret - Aerial Feeding - Winter 2009-10 ::	:: Quintana - April 24-25, 2010 ::	:: Yellow-headed Blackbird - Quintana April 24, 2010 ::	:: Black-and-white Warbler movements 042510 - Quintana April 25, 2010 ::
:: Laughing Gull courtship feeding – April 25, 2010 ::	:: Northern Cardinal courtship feeding – April 25, 2010 ::	:: Leucistic Neotropic Cormorant – UTC 2010 ::	:: Bald Eagles - Baytown Nest April 21, 2010 ::
:: Baytown Bald Eagles - Eaglets - Play - April 14, 2010 ::	:: Bald Eagles - Baytown Nest April 14, 2010 ::	:: Bald Eagles - Baytown - Pair Bathing, April 13, 2010 ::	:: Bald Eagles - Baytown Nest April 12, 2010 ::
:: Bald Eagles - Baytown Nest April 9, 2010 ::	:: Bald Eagles - Baytown Nest April 8, 2010 ::	:: Bald Eagles - Baytown Nest April 7, 2010 ::	:: Bald Eagles -Baytown Nest April 5, 2010 ::
:: Bald Eagles -Baytown Nest April 3, 2010 ::	:: Bald Eagle – Landing on perch – Baytown March 2010 ::	:: Baytown Bald Eagles in the rain - April 2, 2010 ::	:: Bald Eagle – Taking off from perch – Baytown March 2010 ::
:: Bald Eagle – Pair calling on perch - March 2010 ::	:: Bald Eagle – Head-Throwback Display when calling with raised wings– on nest - March 2010 ::	:: Bald Eagle – Head-Throwback Display when calling on perch - March 2010 ::	:: Bald Eagle – Cleaning bill - March 2010 ::
:: Bald Eagle – Preening - March 2010 ::	:: Bald Eagle – Defecating on perch - March 2010 ::	:: Bald Eagle – Full body shake- March 2010 ::	:: Bald Eagle – Feeding young - March 2010 ::
:: Bald Eagle – On the wing - March 2010 ::	:: Bald Eagle – Portraits - March 2010 ::	:: Great Egret High Island March 28, 2010 ::	:: Roseate Spoonbill - High Island March 28, 2010 ::
:: Neotropic Cormorant - High Island March 28, 2010 ::	:: hawk032110 ::	:: Mottled Duck (Anas fulvigula) – Upper Texas Coast ::	:: Possible American Black Duck (Anas rubripes) – Upper Texas Coast ::
:: Possible Mexican Duck (Anas diazi) – Upper Texas Coast ::	:: Snowy Egret - Art in Aerial Foraging ::	:: Snowy Egret - Aerial Feeding - Winter 2009-10 ::	:: Snowy Egret - Foraging Flights - Winter 2009-10 ::
:: Great Egret - fight#9 ::	:: Great Egret - fight#8 ::	:: Great Egret - fight#7 ::	:: Great Egret - fight#6 ::
:: Great Egret - fight#5 ::	:: Great Egret - fight#4 ::	:: Great Egret - fight#3 ::	:: Great Egret - fight#2 ::
:: Great Egret - fight#1 ::	:: Great Egret - on the wing - aggressive pursuits ::	:: Great Egret - on the wing ::	:: Great Egret grabbed a fish but Snowy stole a fisheye ::
:: Snowy Egret foraging in flocks ::	:: Snowy Egret, Ring-billed Gull & Laughing Gull foraging ::	:: Snowy and Great Egret foraging in the fog ::	:: Snowy Egret & Ring-billed Gull - interspecific kleptoparasitism ::
:: Snowy Egret - fight#4 ::	:: Snowy Egret - fight#3 ::	:: Snowy Egret - fight#2 ::	:: Snowy Egret - fight#1 ::
:: Reddish Egret foraging ::	:: Great Egret striking prey - close ups ::	:: Snowy Egret striking prey - close ups ::	:: Red-tailed Hawk walking on the ground ::
:: Neotropic Cormorant defecating on the wing ::	:: Great Egret defecating on the wing ::	:: Snowy Egret defecating on the wing ::	:: Red-tailed Hawk striking, drowning and eating the Mallard – January 1, 2010 ::
:: Caspian Tern with fish harassed by Laughing Gull - BNWR January 24, 2010 ::	:: Geese - San Bernard NWR - January 24, 2010 ::	:: Rock Wren - January 21, 2010 - Pine Gully Park in Seabrook ::	:: From the Field 2009 ::
:: From the Field 2008 ::	:: From the Field 2007 ::	:: From the Field 2006 ::	:: id ::

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